Cable-stripping pliers

ABSTRACT

Cable-stripping pliers includes between its clamping jaws ( 2, 3 ) a cutting unit ( 14 ) having mutually co-acting cutting elements ( 65, 75 ). A mechanism ( 17 ) is connected on the one hand to handgrip legs ( 4, 5 ) of the pliers and on the other hand to said clamping jaws ( 2, 3 ) and a pull rod connected to the cutting unit ( 14 ). As the jaws ( 2, 3 ) are closed, the mechanism causes the clamping elements ( 2   a,    3   a ) and the cutting unit ( 14 ) to initially engage the cable, and thereafter to withdraw the pull rod, whilst essentially retaining engagement between said clamping elements and the cable upon continued closure of the legs of the pliers handle. The pull rod includes a pin ( 60 ) that projects freely in a direction which is normal to the movement plane of the clamping jaws ( 2, 3 ) and that engages in a corresponding opening ( 61 ) in the cutting unit. The cutting unit includes an abutment ( 80 ) which is movable in the longitudinal direction of the pliers and which limits the stripping length and includes a latching device ( 53, 65 ) for latching the arms ( 6, 7 ) together in their closed state.

[0001] The present invention relates to cable-stripping pliers of the kind defined in the preamble of claim 1 and a cutting unit that can be used with the pliers.

[0002] The invention thus relates to cable-stripping pliers of the kind disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,037 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,791 for example.

[0003] Such cable-stripping pliers include two clamping jaws that are mounted for pivotal movement in relation to each other and which include two co-acting clamping elements for gripping a cable to be stripped, two legs which are pivotal in relation to each other for pivotally driving the clamping jaws, a cutting unit including two pivotally mounted arms which are spring-biased in a direction away from each other and which have mutually co-acting cutting means at their free ends for cutting through a cable casing to be stripped from the cable, wherein the cutting unit is received between the clamping jaws and adapted for movement therealong, wherein guide means are provided for guiding the cutting unit along the clamping jaws, and wherein a pull rod is conulected to the cutting unit, wherein there is further included a mechanism which is connected to the clamping legs, on the one hand, and to the clamping jaws and the pull rod, on the other hand, wherein the mechanism is adapted to initially allow the clamping elements and the cutting unit to engage the cable when closing the clamping jaws, and thereafter, with an essentially retained closure grip, to withdraw the pull rod, and therewith the cutting unit, upon continued closure of the clamping legs, with the cable gripped by the clamping elements.

[0004] It is difficult to replace the cutting devices or cutting unit in previously known cable-stripping pliers. Consequently, one object of the invention is to provide cable-stripping pliers with which the cutting unit can be easily replaced.

[0005] A further object of the invention is to provide a cutting unit which can be readily locked in a closed state so as to reduce the risk of personal injury by the cutting elements of the cutting unit, before or after assembling/dismantling the cutting unit. A further object is to provide a cutting unit design in which latching is combined with an abutment means for determining the cable stripping length.

[0006] The object is achieved, either fully or partially, with cable-stripping pliers constructed in accordance with the invention. The invention is defined in the accompanying independent Claims.

[0007] Embodiments according to the invention are defined in the accompanying dependent Claims.

[0008] The inventive pliers enables the cutting unit to be changed quickly and simply, and therefore enables a cutting unit to be readily changed when its cutting element has become blunt, or when a cutting element with another type of cutting device (adapted to some other type of cable) is required.

[0009] The cutting unit can be closed by bringing the legs of the pliers together and can be latched in its closed state by means of the latching arrangement. When the legs of the pliers are moved apart, the clamping elements are opened, wherewith the arms of the cutting unit are no longer urged towards the clamping jaws by the biasing force of the spring. This enables the cutting unit to be moved easily along the pin, i.e. away from the space between the clamping elements. Since the arms of the cutting unit and the cutting element are in engagement with each other, there is less risk of personal injury when manually handling the cutting unit, both prior to fitting the unlit to the pliers and subsequent to removal of said unit therefrom.

[0010] The invention will now be described in more detail by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing.

[0011]FIG. 1 is a side view of cable-stripping pliers constructed in accordance with the present invention;

[0012]FIG. 2 illustrates part of a connection between a cutting unit and a pull rod forming part of the pliers;

[0013]FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view taken on the line III-III in FIG. 1;

[0014]FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a cutting unit; and

[0015]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cutting unit carried by the pull rod.

[0016]FIG. 1 illustrates schematically cable or wire stripping pliers that include mutually pivotal handgrip legs 4, 5 which, through the medium of a pliers mechanism 17, are coupled to mutually pivotal clamping jaws 2, 3 which carry at their free ends clamping elements 2 a, 3 a for gripping a cable 28 to be stripped. A cutting unit 14 is located between the jaws 2, 3. The cutting unit includes a tubular pivot mounting 61 whose axis extends normal to a plane which is “tented” by the pivotal movement of the jaws 2, 3.

[0017] The clamping jaws 2, 3 can be considered to be pivotally mounted relative to one another about an axis 18.

[0018] The tubular pivot mounting 61 between the arms 6, 7 of the cutting unit 14 receives a co-axial pin 60 which is free-bearing from an end-part 8′ of a pull rod 8 that is caused to move axially in the longitudinal direction of the pliers by the mechanism 17 when said mechanism is activated by mutual pivoting of the pliers' legs 4, 5.

[0019] Provided at the freely-movable end of the unit 14 are cutters 65, 75 which co-act to cut a break line through the casing on the cable 28 to be stripped. Movably mounted on one arm 7 is an abutment 80 which defines the length of cable to be stripped, i.e. the distance between the body 80 and the cutters 65, 75 when the pliers are open.

[0020] The mechanism 17 is of a well known kind, in which closing of the pliers legs 4, 5 also causes the clamping jaws 2, 3 to close so that the clamping elements 2 a, 3 a will grip the cable 28 therebetween, wherein the clamping jaws 2, 3 also drive the arms of the cutting unit 14 towards each other and therewith cause the cutters 65, 75 to cut break lines in the cable casing. In response to continued closing of the legs 4, 5, the mechanism 17 causes the jaws 2, 3 to essentially retain their pivot positions, while said mechanism 17 withdraws the pull rod 8 and therewith the cutting unit 14, so that the cutters 65, 75 entrain the cable casing that was initially situated between the cutters 65, 75 and the abutment 80.

[0021] A mechanism 17 of this kind is well known and forms no part of this invention. A purposeful description of such a mechanism 17 is given, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,791 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,037, the contents of which are incorporated in this document.

[0022] It will be seen from FIG. 2 that the end-part 8′ of the pull rod carries one end of a freely projecting pin 60 which extends in a direction normal to the movement plane of the jaws 2, 3, said part being shown slightly displaced in parallel from the connecting part of the pull rod 8. As will be seen from FIG. 3, the clamping jaws 2, 3 include guide grooves 2 b, 3 b which receive slide shoulders 64, 74 on the arms 6, 7. It will be seen from FIG. 4 that a spring 38 functions to force the arms 6, 7 apart and into engagement with the grooves 2 b, 3 b. Located at the ends of the arms 6, 7 are generally V-shaped blades which engage each other so as to cut four circumferentially spaced break lines around the cable.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 4, an abutment body 80 is mounted for displacement along one arm 7 and has a latch tongue which releasably engages between respective teeth in a row of teeth 6 on the arm 7, so as to set the body 80 in a chosen position along the arm 7.

[0024] As will be seen from FIG. 5, the body 80 has a front abutment surface 50 which forms an end stop for the cable 28 when inserting the cable into the cutting unit of the pliers.

[0025] The body 80 includes mutually opposing flanges/tongues 51 which engage with a respective row of teeth 52 on each of the opposite sides of said one arm 7.

[0026] It will also be seen that the body 80 carries mutually opposing latching fingers 53 which extend along a respective recess 84 on opposite sides of the unit arm 6, along the movement path of the body 8 from its forward end position in the proximity of the cutting elements, and a movement position withdrawn towards the bearing 61, even when the arms 6, 7 are essentially fully closed against one another. Provided in the side surfaces of the arm 6, in the vicinity of the end of the arm 6 connecting with the pivot bearing 61, is a groove 67 which receives the latching fingers 53 when the body is displaced to its rear end position. The latching arrangement formed by the fingers 63 and the grooves 65 lock the arms 6, 7 in their mutually closed state, in which the cutting elements 65, 75 mutually engage so as to minimise the risk of injury. The latching tongues 51 and the rows of teeth 52 co-acting therewith amplify the effect of the latching arrangement. The latching arrangement (the grooves 65) may alternatively be place at the front end of the unit.

[0027] It will be seen from FIG. 5 that the cutting elements 64, 65 have a common co-action plane. Each cutting element consists of two blades with their edges located in said plane and defining a V-shaped angle. The blades situated on one side of the plane are generally parallel, wherewith the blades of the two cutting elements mutually overlap in the closed state of the cutting unit. 

1. Cable-stripping pliers that includes two clamping jaws which are pivotally mounted and which have two co-acting clamping elements (2 a, 3 a) for gripping a cable (28) to be stripped, two legs (4, 5) which can be pivoted relative to one another to pivotally drive the clamping jaws, a cutting unit (14) which includes two pivotally mounted arms (6, 7) which are spring-biased away from each other and which carry at their free ends mutually co-acting cutting elements (65, 75) for cutting through the casing to be stripped from the cable, wherein the cutting unit is received between the clamping jaws and is arranged for movement therealong, wherein a pull rod (8) is connected to the cutting unit, and a mechanism (17) which is connected to the pliers legs (4, 5) on the one hand and to the clamping elements (2, 3) and the pull rod (8) on the other hand, wherein the mechanism (17) is adapted to cause the clamping elements (2 a, 3 a) and the cutting unit (14) to engage the cable initially when closing the clamping jaws, and thereafter, while essentially retaining their grip, withdraws the pull rod (8) and therewith the cutting unit (14) with the cable gripped by the clamping elements (2 a, 3 a) upon continued movement of said legs (4, 5) one towards the other, characterised in that the pull rod (8) carries a pin (60) that extends in a direction normal to the movement plane of the clamping jaws; in that the pin (60) projects freely from the pull rod (8); and in that the cutting unit (14) has an opening in which the pin (60) engages for entraining or dogging the cutting unit (14) along the clamping jaws (2, 3); and in that the cutting unit (14) has a latching device (53,65) by which the arms of the cutting unit can be locked in a closed condition.
 2. Cable-stripping pliers according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one of the arms of the cutting unit (14) co-acts with an adjacent clamping jaw via displacement-permitting guide formations (2 b, 3 b; 64, 74); in that the formations (2 b, 3 b; 64, 74) when in co-action function to prevent displacement of the arm (6, 7) relative to the clamping jaws (2, 3) along the pin (60); and in that the clamping jaws (2, 3) of said pliers are arranged to allow the cutting unit (14) to be removed along the pin (60) when in their open state and when the cutting unit is in its closed state.
 3. Cable-stripping pliers according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that at least one of the clamping jaws (2, 3) includes on its inner surface a groove (2 b, 3 b) which receives an adjacent arm (7, 6) of the cutting unit for guiding the cutting unit along the clamping jaws.
 4. Cable-stripping pliers according to any one of claims 1-3, characterised in that one arm (7) of the cutting unit carries a body (80) which is arranged for movement along said arm and which forms an abutment surface (50) for the end of a cable to be stripped.
 5. Cable-stripping pliers according to claim 4, characterised in that the body (80) includes at least one latching tongue (51) for co-action with a row (76) of teeth on said one arm for releasable latching of the body (80) in a set position along said row (52).
 6. Cable-stripping pliers according to claim 4, characterised in that said body (80) carries a latching finger (53) which in one end position of the body (80) engages a recess (67) in the other arm (6), wherein said recess (65) is intended to receive said finger (53) when the body (8) is displaced towards said end position as the arms (6, 7) of the cutting unit are brought together.
 7. Cable-stripping pliers according to claim 6, characterised in that said recess (67) is situated at one end of the cutting unit at which the arms (6, 7) are pivotally mounted.
 8. Cable-stripping pliers according to any one of claims 1-7, characterised in that the arms of said cutting unit have a tubular pivot bearing which receives said pin (60).
 9. A cutting unit for use between clamping jaws of cable-stripping pliers, wherein said unit includes two pivotally mounted arms (6,7) which are spring biassed away from each other and which at their free ends carry mutually co-acting cutting elements (65, 75) for cutting through cable casing to be stripped from the cable, wherein one arm (7) of the cutting unit carries a body (80) that can be moved along the arm and that forms an abutment surface for the end of the cable to be stripped, characterised in that the body (80) carries a latching element (53) that can engage a corresponding latching element (65) on the other arm (6) by displacement of said body when the arms (6,7) of the cutting unit have been brought together.
 10. A cutting unit according to claim 9, characterised in that the body (80) includes at least one latch tongue (51) for co-action with a row of teeth on said first arm, such as to release the latch acting on the body, in a set position of displacement along the row (52).
 11. A cutting unit according to claim 10 or 11, characterised in that the latching element (53) carried by the body (80) is a finger; in that the latching element on the second arm (6) is a recess; and in that the arms of the cutting unit have a tubular pivot bearing (61). 